Florentina Vega Miller

Florentina ‘Tina’ Vega Miller, 75, was born post WWII in Leyte, an island in the Philippines to Martin and his wife, Maximina. She was one of six children. Both her parents passed when she was a child so as a teen, Tina moved from rural Leyte to Manila on her own to support her brothers and sister back home. Tina worked in a bakery and as a housekeeper until she bumped into Tony while grocery shopping in 1973. In 1974, Tina left her home and family in the Philippines and married Tony on the island of Guam. At the age of 27 she immigrated to the United States where she was taken in by Tony’s family in Minnesota. Tina and Tony’s grandmother quickly formed a close bond despite being weary of Tina. Prior to relocating to Whidbey Island, WA, Tony and Tina purchased new 1975 Plymouth Duster in which Tina insisted she could drive resulting in a trip through a wheat field. In Whidbey Island, Tina met other Filipinas including, Alicia, who was to become a lifelong friend. In 1979, Tina and Tony welcomed their first child, Lillian. After reenlisting in the Navy, they were sent to Japan and in 1980 welcomed their second child, AJ II. Tony’s military career brought Tina back to Whidbey Island, Guam, and finally Bremerton where they fulfilled their dream of home ownership in 1990. Tina loved to garden, and their first home brought her a forty square foot garden where she farmed and raised chickens. There, she met Laurie and May who were raising children of similar ages. They all became fast friends enjoying years of family camping trips and holidays, and even moving to a new neighborhood together. It was during this time that Tina, reconnected with her family in the Philippines and her initial trip back to the PI in 1997 that eventually led to an illness that triggered her

kidney failure that she fought for the past 26 years. During those years she made the best of her life and enjoyed her family and friends. She brought her adult children back to her childhood home in the Philippines, she traveled to Denver to witness her daughter get married and again to meet her grandchildren, Clover and Journey. Having them made her heart full. Tina watched her son graduate college, twice, and taught him to love the FoodNetwork and QVC. She witnessed him purchase his first home and become a responsible professional adult. The pandemic forced the family to hunker-down as a unit. Work from home and Tina’s declining health saw care shared between her husband and son as well as her daughter and her family moving closer. The last six months were hard for Tina, but being the stubborn woman she was, she fought very hard. Tina was tough and she was silly, she was generous and caring. She was a wife, a mother, a sister and a friend, she was loved dearly and will be missed deeply. Thank you to everyone who loved and cared for Tina, including St. Michael’s Medical Center and Puget Sound Kidney Center.

Què serà, serà

Whatever will be, will be

The future’s not ours to see

Què serà, serà

"Hindi malaking bagay.”

Mom’s Banana Bread

This was a staple in our home growing up. Our freezer would have at least two loaves at all times. Not too sweet, just the right amount of bananas, and great with salted butter. 3 ½ cups flour 2 cups mashed extra ripe bananas in 2 tblspn lemon juice 3 tsp. baking powder ¾ cup shortening 1 tsp. salt 1 ½ cups sugar 1 tsp. baking soda ¾ cup milk 3 eggs Chopped walnuts Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cream together shortening and sugar, adding eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in bananas and walnuts. Bake in loaf tins at 350 degrees for about an hour.

“I still have a lot more rice left to eat.”